Grand Funk Railroad roared onto the scene like a freight train filled with musical talent and fans quickly hopped on for the ride. In Flint, Michigan Terry Knight (AKA Richard Terrance Knapp) was a radio DJ and wanted to get into the music industry in a different way. He found a band called The Jazz Masters and convinced them to let him become their lead singer. The band's original members were Don Brewer on drums, Al Pippins on guitar, Bob Caldwell on keyboards and Herman Jackson on bass. Jackson soon had to be replaced by Mark Farner, and Knight became the band's manager.The band was named after a Michigan landmark called The Grand Trunk Western Railroad. They also added Mel Schacher. They released the album On Time in 1969 and were instantly successful. Fans couldn't get enough of their unique way to rock and their down-to-earth mentality. They became incredibly prolific with their releases after that, dropping Closer to Home in 1970, Survival in 1971, E Pluribus Funk in 1971, Phoenix in 1972 and We're an American Band in 1973. They also released many more albums before the decade was over like All The Girls in the World Beware, Masters of Tick, Born to Die and Good Singin', Good Playin' as well as releasing a live album.Grand Funk Railroad began to dissolve in the 1980s as pieces of the band decided to break out on solo projects or join other bands. They reunited briefly and toured from 1996-1999. Since their early success, the lineup has switched up considerably but they still have that same old funk. They have released multiple greatest hits albums and also a holiday album. They still tour around the United States playing all of their favorites for their fans.